the bell-o-gram HEALTHY HOW TO HAVE A
February 2008 Volume 33, Issue 2 the bell-o-gram www.areaiii.org Area III of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers HOW TO HAVE A HEALTHY FESTIVAL Tips for Ringers and Directors p. p. 16 16 DELAWARE MARYLAND METRO DC NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA STUFF MORE IN! Area III Explodes with Brand New Events beginning on p. 6 PATTERN SEQUENCING: Understanding Muscle Memory Improves Ringing p. 4 SPRING CONCERT Sunday, June 1st – 4:00 pm Meymandi Concert Hall - Raleigh, North Carolina Tickets available April 1st at the Progress Energy Center Box Office and Ticketmaster (919-834-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com) THE RALEIGH RINGERS, INC., PRESENTS THE 15th ANNUAL CAPITAL AREA YOUNG RINGERS FESTIVAL Especially for Ringers Ages 9 to 14 Upcoming Concerts: April 19, 2008 – 3:00 pm First Evangelical Lutheran Ellicott City, Maryland 410-465-2977 Saturday, February 23, 2008 April 20, 2008 – 3:00 pm Pinecrest High School Southern Pines, North Carolina 910-692-4356 Repertoire Information and Registration Forms available at www.rr.org May 3, 2008 – 7:30 pm Ashe County Civic Center West Jefferson, North Carolina 336-846-ARTS Clinician: Nancy Cappel Soapstone United Methodist Church Raleigh, NC For information, email Education@rr.org ________________________________________________ The 20th Annual CAPITAL AREA HANDBELL FESTIVAL Saturday, November 15, 2008 Kerr Scott Building, North Carolina State Fairgrounds Raleigh, North Carolina Karen Buckwalter Guest Conductor May 4, 2008 - 3:00 pm Lincoln Theater Marion, Virginia 276-783-6093 June 1, 2008 - 4:00pm Meymandi Concert Hall Raleigh, North Carolina David M. Harris, Director 8516 Sleepy Creek Drive Raleigh, NC 27613 phone/fax: 1-866-637-7464 email: rringer@rr.org www.rr.org Area III Board of Directors CHAIR Charm Peterman (2009) 113 Melvins End Yorktown, VA 23693 757-766-8658 rpeterman2@cox.net CHAIR-ELECT Linda Simms (2011) 205 Carnoustie Road Dover, DE 19904 302-677-0187 keys2ring@aol.com TREASURER J. Stanley Schmidt (2009) 303 Redland Blvd. #204 Rockville, MD 20850 301-519-8905 agehrdollars@hotmail.com Ken Bissell (2011) 5416 Sequoia Farms Drive Centreville, VA 20120 703-751-2151 kenbhandbells@aol.com Nick Hanson (2011) 7735 Inversham Drive #228 Falls Church, VA 22042 703-207-8626 tintinnabulator@gmail.com Melissa Nobile (2011) 10230 Stillhouse Road Delaplane, VA 20144 540-364-3699 stillhouse@hughes.net Edmund F. Tompkins (2009) 4291 Canewood Lane Indian Trail, NC 28079 704-821-8392 etompkin@aol.com Kathleen L. Wissinger (2009) 1050 Cemetery Road McGaheysville, VA 22840 540-289-6973 longwalk3@aol.com ON THE WEB National AGEHR Website www.agehr.org Area III Website www.areaiii.org Area III Webmaster Stephen Nash webmaster@areaiii.org PATTERN SEQUENCING Appointed Administrators Ever wonder why some ringers are more challenged to “get it right?” DELAWARE CHAIR by Charm Peterman, Area Chair Judy Moore jmoore@epworth-rehoboth.org Generally, ringing handbells requires muscular responses to visual or auditory cues. People refer to learning parts and getting them into “muscle memory.” The term often implies that some muscular responses bypass the brain and function on their own, such as the involuntary act of blinking. Ever had an experience when your arm moved and the bell rang – and you had no idea where you were in the music? Information goes in, the message is secured in the brain, and then information is recovered and applied when needed. By analyzing movement in ringing handbells and using problem-solving tools, ringers can be successful! MARYLAND CHAIR John Rudy jrudy@tlchag.org METRO DC CHAIR Rob Kobus enchamadedc@earthlink.net NORTH CAROLINA CHAIR Karen Strausser kstrausser@aol.com Have you ever been going somewhere for the very first time and discover that you have to get there yourself without the aid of a map? Hopefully you pay close attention to surroundings and land markings. What is it like when you play a piece of music for the very first time? Make any mistakes? Have any problems with playing the rhythms accurately – even after reading through the part more than once? I experienced this situation in one choir with an individual who had a doctorate in performance. We were all puzzled as to why this very educated musician had problems ringing accurately. At first we thought it was because as an organist, this ringer was used to playing chords without really thinking about individual notes. Identifying two individual notes in chordal structures — trying to override analytical skills and focus on the visual cues in the music — was a challenge. Then we discovered that the real issue seemed to be the patterning of the muscular response of the rhythm. This lead to the conclusion that there are two primary elements that affect ringing the correct notes and note values: the duration of notes (especially repeated notes) and the complexity of involving both the right and left hands. Identifying these elements will be referred to as pattern sequencing. VIRGINIA CHAIR Ned Davis nededavis@cox.net CHIME LOAN PROGRAM Elaine Myers myers129@juno.com EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH Linda Simms keys2ring@aol.com EVENT COORDINATOR Lisa Woerner lisa_gct@yahoo.com EVENT REGISTRAR Bettsy Wermine wermine@comcast.net GUILD STORE MANAGER Susan Butler susandbutler@comcast.net HISTORIAN Missy Cernigliaro belldiva@cavtel.net Our muscles readily repeat patterns. Like finding your way to a new location a second time, the brain immediately begins to create new pathways of information (synapses) that connect certain stimuli with neural responses. When identical muscular responses are repeated, the stronger this connection becomes, with new dendrites in the brain reinforcing the newly established “path!” MENTOR COORDINATOR Ingrid Bowers ringingb@verizon.net MEMBERSHIP Fran Hoadley fran_hoadley@yahoo.com By "retraining" our mind-to-muscle connections, better habits and techniques begin to replace previous ones. This is why the most effective practice is done slowly and correctly, and then strengthened with repetition. Example: if the length of a repeated note is consistent (i.e., quarter notes), it is pretty easy to be consistent. The muscles have established a response pattern and are quick to repeat the quarter notes. However, if the note values are not consistent, the muscles must then adapt to the new sensation of longer or shorter note lengths. How many times has a ringer played on a rest? Did they play just prior to that rest? The muscles may be responding to the sensation of repeated sensory motion. SECRETARY TO THE BOARD Lynn Bogovich lbogovich@comcast.net SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE Edmund F. Tompkins, Chair etompkin@aol.com VIDEO LIBRARIAN C. Milton Rodgers mrodgers@umcgrace.org 4 It therefore becomes critical to involve the cognitive functioning of the brain. Many ringers are taught to ring close to the body for short notes and to extend the arm for longer notes. This is a great learning tool that adds the dimensions and sensations of space to note-value identification. Varying note values in the same hand may be a stumbling block until the correct muscular-response pattern is identified. Some ringers will adapt more readily than others to the sensation of long/short responses, but the critical element is to identify what the body involuntarily “wants” to do (based on the previous muscular response), versus what should be done! PATTERN SEQUENCE EXERCISES Add to this mix the intricacies of left and right (not to mention a variety of techniques), and a ringer ends up with a challenging complexity! If a ringer is unable to identify the rhythm, that obviously needs to be quickly resolved. Once resolved, if ringers say “We are counting…” but there is no outward vocal evidence, then their internal counting processing may be counterproductive. By counting aloud, a greater portion of the brain is involved using not only visual identification and muscular response, but additional output (speaking) and input (listening). Now the brain is more fully involved in the muscular-response learning process. If ringers are experiencing difficulties with a specific passage, first identify the note duration issues and then hand pattern sequences. Be alert as to whether the muscles seem to “want” to respond based on a previous sequencing of left/right. Once the hand pattern is identified, then address the rhythm and determine if the note duration(s) in question are also adversely affected by what the body naturally “wants” to do. To discover how effectively a ringer responds to a pattern, try it first in one hand, then the other hand, then a mixture of left, right, right-left combinations, or variations of hand sequencing. Take short patterns (sub-patterns) and incorporate the sequence to create a longer sequence, or unit. This approach is especially helpful from Level I music to mixed meter. It is important to identify the visual and muscular responses, find the “hiccups” that cause the incorrect responses, and resolve them! Most ringers can discover their pattern challenges once they understand that these are not merely rhythm identification issues, but muscular-response challenges as well. The following pattern-sequence exercises should be played with one hand (no counting aloud at first, to experience the muscular responses), with increasing tempo to confirm the pattern-sequence changes. If a ringer has difficulties in processing the muscular patterns, then identify the correct counting (or use the concept of short/long) , slow the tempo and count aloud. Employ the cognitive! Remember, muscles most readily want to repeat whatever they have just done to strengthen the synapses. Go through these exercises, identify the pattern changes and work through them! Your current repertoire probably has several pattern-sequence issues that can be extracted and used as exercises. If you prefer using a method book, Valerie Stephenson’s Coordination Conundrums is an excellent resource for muscular response, complexity and technique variations. Have fun locating “hiccups” and helping yourself and other ringers become more skilled in problem-solving and accuracy by understanding muscular-response and pattern sequencing! 5 E 1.E E _ _ _ _ _ _ b E _ _ _ _ _ _ b E 2._ _ _ _ _ _ b E__ __ ___ _ _ _ b_ E_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ b E__ __ __ _ _ _ _ b_ 3.__ __ __ ___ ___ _ _ b__ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ __K ___ _ _ b__K ___ _ _ ___K ___ _ __K_ 4.__ _ __K __ _ _K_ __K _ _ __ __ _ ___K ___K _ _ ___K __ _ _ __K_K __K _ __K _ _ __KK _ _ _ __K __ _ _ __K_ 5._K ___ __ ___K __ _ _ ___KK __K __ _ _K _ _ _ __KK __K __ ___ __ _ _ __K _K _ _ _ _ _ K 6.__ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __K _ _ _ _ __ __ __ K __ __3 _ _ _ ¶__ __3_ ___ ___ __3 _ ___ ¶__ __3_ ___ __ _3 _ __ ¶_ __3 __ 7. _3 _ _ 3_ ¶__ K _À__ ¶_ K__ _À_ ¶__ _K_ 3 _À__ ¶¶_ _K__3 _À_ ¶_ _K _ 3 À_ ¶¶ _K_3 À_ _¶_ 3 _K _¶ _ _ _K3 _ 8.¶_ K_ _ À_ ¶¶ _K_ À_ ¶_ K _ ¶ _ _K _ ¶_ K_ 3 3 ¶_ _KÀ ¶ ¶¶ __KK À ¶_ K_ _ À_ ¶ _K_ À_ ¶¶_K _KÀ ¶ ¶ __KK À ¶_ K ¶ _ K ¶¶ K _KÀ ¶ ¶ _KK À _ _ ¶ _K ¶ _K _ b _ b _ _ b _ b _ _ b _ b _ __ b _ _b _ _ __ b _ _b _ _ _ _ b _ _b _ _ ___ b_ _ _ _b __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __K b_ _ _ _b __ _K ___K __ _ __ _ __K __K __ _ _ _ _K ___ __ _ ¶_ K _ _ K K ___ ___ _ ¶_ _K __ _ K K __K _ _ ¶_ _K _ _K ___K ___ _ ¶_ _K _ _K ___ ___ ¶__ _K _ __ __K __ ¶_ _K _ _K ___ ___ _ _ _ _ ___ ___ _ ¶___K _ __ __ __ _ ¶__ K __ ___ _3 __ _ ¶___3 _ __ ___ ¶3__ _ _ ¶__ _3 ___ __ ¶3_ _ _ ¶ _ _3 __ ___ ¶3__ À _ _ ¶__K¶_3 À___ ___ ¶3_ À_ _ ¶__K¶_3 À__ __ ¶3 À _ ¶_K ¶_3 À_ __ ¶3_ À_ __K¶__K¶¶_3 À __ __ ¶3 À_ _K _K¶¶_3 À _ _ ¶ À _K¶_K¶¶ À __ _ K _ ¶ _ _ À _ K¶ À _ K _¶ À _ K¶ À _ _K _ ¶ K ¶ BRAVISSIMO! AREA III OFFERS NEW EVENT FOR PERFORMING ENSEMBLES June 6-7, 2008 & June 12-13, 2009 • Gaithersburg, Presbyterian Church • Gaithersburg, MD by Linda Simms, Event Chair What? Another event in Area III? Community and performing groups… get out your calendars now! Plans are underway for a unique event to help network all styles and sizes of community and performing groups. This event will focus not on performing, but practical and creative solutions and ideas for the challenges unique to performing ensembles. Directors will lead the reading sessions. The New Event Committee is in the process of selecting faculty. This year’s BRAVISSIMO! Committee includes: Lisa Woerner, events coordinator/registrar; Linda Simms, event chair; Dottie Tweedie, program chair; Rob Kobus, local liaison; Ann Y. Schmidt, event advisor; Stan Schmidt; Lynn Bogovich and John Rudy. In addition to classes, all participants will be invited on a private tour of the Washington National Cathedral to see the tower bells! Rob Kobus, our Metro DC Chair, is a change ringer at the Cathedral, and will guide us through this gorgeous facility to observe change ringing “up close and personal!” Classes will be geared toward topics that are relevant to performing groups. If you are interested in joining other performing groups at this event, please look at the class topics suggested and let me know which ones are of interest to you. Additional suggestions are welcome: please let us know what you want so we can make this your event! The proposed schedule appears below. Meanwhile, suggested classes include: Especially for Ringers: • Bass Bells and Chimes (including 2’s) • Can You Share? • Four-in-Hand/Six-in-Hand Ringing • Marking Scores • • • • • Music Theory Refining Your Bell Assignment Shelley/Advanced Shelley Ringing Stopped Techniques Using percussion For Directors and Ringers: • 501(3)(c) and What it Means • Area III’s Resources and Pitfalls • Auditions & Bell Assignments • Bell Trees and Processional Ideas • Branding Your Organization • Christmas: Surviving the Season • Contract Writing • Creative Ideas and Props • Directors’ Roundtable • Fundraising and Grant Writing • Repertoire Selection • Royalties • Stage Presence • Using Your Logo & Marketing Tips • Venues • Videotaping & Photographing Your Group • Websites PROPOSED BRAVISSIMO! SCHEDULE FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2008 1:00 Registration/setup begins 3:00 Opening Bell 3:30-5:00 Reading session 1 5:15-6:30 Dinner 7:00 Trip to Washington National Cathedral 10:00 Reception SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2008 Breakfast on your own 8:30-9:30 Class 1 9:45-10:45 Class 2 11:00-Noon Class 3 12:15-1:30 Boxed Lunch 1:30-2:30 Class 4 2:45-4:00 Reading Session 2 4:15-5:00 Wrap up and closing bell Please contact Linda Simms at 302-677-0187 or keys2ring@aol.com to ensure that you are on the mailing list for this event. We’ll send information as it becomes available, including nearby lodging, registration fees and procedures. If you are interested in attending this event and have other ideas, please send them! We’re designing this event to be helpful and relevant with no competition or pressure, and lots of networking! Help us help you by offering your ideas and suggestions! We’ve already booked Gaithersburg Presbyterian for June 12-13, 2009, and look forward to this annual event! 6 LAUNCH INTO THE FUTURE! Area III Prepares to Celebrate 50th Anniversary Ringers Travel. Mark your calendars for November 13 & 14, 2009 for a new event in Area III that will "launch into the future" as we focus on our children and youth! So should their info. AGEHR celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004. Since Area III became incorporated in 1959, our 50th anniversary celebration will begin with the Youth Festival in 2009 and continue into 2010 with the spring festival. The 2009 Youth Festival in Richmond is going to be for youth groups (grades 7 - 12) and children's groups (grades 4 - 6)! Additional space has been contracted in the convention center especially for the younger ringers, who will get to work with their own clinician and have a variety of activities! We are planning for a maximum of 100 children for this special new young ringers’ event, so if you are interested, keep an eye out for more details as everything comes together. We plan to continue children and youth events into the foreseeable future, and the festival committee is exploring ideas and clinicians to continue offering exceptional educational opportunities for our area! Vacationing? Moving? Running away from home? For information and newsletters from the other AGEHR areas across America, log onto www.areaiii.org More details are on the way. If you have questions or ideas in the meantime, please contact Area III Event Coordinator Lisa Woerner at lisa_gct@yahoo.com or 704-517-4954. Bellhaven2008 10/3/07 9:57 AM and click on “Useful Links” to link to other area sites. Page 1 “Mickey” Johnson Collegiate Apparel® Representative Bellhaven “Mickey” Johnson Regional Independent Sales Representative Complete Care and Maintenance of your Handbells At your facility - or ours Pickup and delivery services available Bellhaven “Mickey” Johnson, Inc. Serving the Carolinas 3020 Lizzie Melton Road, Chester, SC 29706-5722 Phone: 803/789-7464 • Fax: 803/753-9582 Toll-Free: 800/691-7464 • Email: Bellman@TruVista.net 7 ____________________________ What ’ s Shakin ’ UPCOMING AGEHR EVENTS When February 23 What Where Capital Area Young Ringers’ Festival venue TBA Raleigh, NC Who Nancy Cappel Contact Ruth Brown at 919-610-1692 or bells@nativityonline.org February 29 - March 1 ______________________________________________________________ 2-3 Octave Festival Mechanicsville Church of Christ Mechanicsville, VA Mark Gourley Contact Dottie Tweedie at 804-357-9810 or hatdpt@verizon.net March 7-8 ______________________________________________________________ Area III Spring Festival Roland E. Powell Conv. Center Ocean City, MD Contact Linda Simms at 302-677-0187 or keys2ring@aol.com March 29 ______________________________________________________________ Young Ringers’ Festival Cranberry Station Elementary Westminster, MD Susan Berry Kath Wissinger Larry Henning Contact Debbie Henning at 410-848-5482 or debbiehen@earthlink.net April 11-12 ______________________________________________________________ Area III Spring Festival Hampton Roads Conv. Center Hampton, VA Contact Nick Hanson at 949-278-8560 or tintinnabulator@gmail.com April 20 ______________________________________________________________ Children’s Melody Madness St. Matthew’s UMC Annandale, VA Jason Wells Kath Wissinger Nancy Cappel Contact Nancy Cappel at 703-978-3500x32 or ncappel@stmatthewsumc.org April 25-26 ______________________________________________________________ Blue Ridge Area Handbell Festival First United Methodist Church Hendersonville, NC Tim Waugh Contact Connie Engle at 828-692-4910 or engle62@yahoo.com June 6-7 ______________________________________________________________ BRAVISSIMO! Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church for Performing Ensembles Gaithersburg, MD various Contact Linda Simms at 302-677-0187 or keys2ring@aol.com August 4-8 ______________________________________________________________ International Symposium Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL various Contact the AGEHR National Office at 1-800-878-5459 August 6-8 ______________________________________________________________ Distinctly Teen Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL Contact the AGEHR National Office at 1-800-878-5459 August 8-11 ______________________________________________________________ National Seminar Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL Contact the AGEHR National Office at 1-800-878-5459 8 Tim Waugh Jason Wells various AREA III MENTORING INITIATIVE Michael J. Glasgow Are you an experienced director? • Do you have knowledge and experience that you can share with new handbell directors in our area? • Would your choir enjoy meeting and assisting new ringers at an Area III festival? • To be a mentor, sign up on your Area III festival registration form! composer · arranger · conductor Are you a new director? • • • • Would you like an experienced director to talk to? Need someone to answer your questions? Does your choir need a workshop on bell technique? To request a mentor, sign up on your Area III festival registration form! Are you planning to attend an Area III festival for the first time? specializing in music for advanced ensembles • Would your choir enjoy meeting another choir? • Area III ringers and directors can answer your questions about classes and/or tell you and your ringers what to expect at the event! • To request a mentor, sign up on your Area III festival registration form! 919.844.3298 sarlasinc@aol.com For more information, contact Ingrid Bowers at ringingb@verizon.net or your state chair (see p. 4) Brochures • Newsletters Booklets • Folders Post Cards • Business Cards CD/DVD Duplication Direct Mail • PURLs And Much More... Double Data is big enough to handle any size project and small enough to provide personal attention. Double Data gets to know you and your project, offering suggestions and allowing you to benefit from our expertise. DESIGN COPY PRINT Proud Printers of The Bell-O-Gram for Area III 10501 Ligon Mill Road, Suite 102 Wake Forest, NC 27587 www.double-data.com Double Data provides a wide spectrum of services so you can get everything done with one stop. Working twice as hard for you! 919.855.9966 9 THE MOTION OF THE OCEAN Information on the Area III Spring Festival in Ocean City, MD • March 7 & 8 by Linda Simms, Event Chair Your Area III Festival Committee has been diligently preparing for another great year of festivals, starting with the Ocean City Spring Festival, March 7 & 8. Scheduled Classes and Instructors: Ocean City Festival ABC’s of Music Theory — Frances Vaughan Advanced Conducting — Michael Keller This year’s guest clinician is Sue Berry, who will help us to be healthier ringers with her Healthy Ringing® expertise. On Friday evening, Sue will share her knowledge with us on the many ways we can avoid some of the problems that plague ringers. You’ll have ample time in the subsequent rehearsals to apply all that you learn from Sue! Area III Forum — Charm Peterman Banging Buckets: Beyond the Basics — Paul Kingsbury Becoming Bronze — Paul Kingsbury While Sue is busy in the ballroom, Kath Wissinger, our Genesis Track clinician, will be leading the Genesis ringers through rehearsals that enlighten and educate. You will be amazed how much progress you will make in the short weekend you spend with Kath! Genesis ringers will receive some “Healthy Ringing” tips from Sue on Saturday, and also have the opportunity to attend a class, present a concert and attend the closing concert. Beginning Conducting — Ken Bissell Change Ringing From The Tower To Table — Rob Kobus Cleaning Up The Basics — Melissa Nobile Community Handbell Ensemble Forum — Larry Henning 5678/Cup Game — Larry Henning The opportunity to learn and network is enormous at these events. The camaraderie is both enriching and priceless. If you have attended festivals, you know what I mean. If this is your first festival, you are about to experience something very special and unique. Ringing with hundreds of other ringers is amazing! See you there! I’ve Got a Screw Loose; Now What? — Sheena Hunter Intermediate Conducting — Michael Keller Learning How To Sightread — Ken Bissell Making Music Personal — Nick Hanson Massage – It’s Nice If You Need To Be Kneaded! — Sharon Baker Negotiating With Difficult Personalities: Understanding and Coping With Whiners, Know-It-Alls, and Other Frustrating People — Jim Simms Pretzel Logic: Weaving 101 — Melissa Nobile Put The Beat In Your Feet! — Linda Simms Repertoire Based on Levels 1 to 3 — Nick Hanson The Roland E. Powell Convention Center Ocean City, MD Repertoire for Advanced Ringers — Ann Y. Schmidt Repertoire: Area III Composers — Ned Davis BUY ME. Ringing 102 - Stretching Your Skills — Rob Kobus So Many Bells, So Few Hands… — Risë Kagan Last issue began our new publication year, but the opportunity to establish or renew advertising is available at any time. If you are interested in receiving rates, dimensions and mechanicals, please contact Michael Glasgow at 919-844-3298 or michael@nrumc.org. Trouble with Trebles? — Carol Feather Martin “Whack” and Roll — Ned Davis What's the Score? — Ann Y. Schmidt The Bell-O-Gram (and advertisements provided in color) is now in full color on our website, www.areaiii.org. Young Ringers: Our Handbell Future — Frances Vaughan 10 WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH HAMPTON? Information on the Area III Spring Festival in Hampton, VA • April 11 & 12 by Nick Hanson, Event Chair Greetings, members of Area III! The Spring Festival registrations are well underway, and I am very excited for this year's Hampton festival, April 11 & 12. We have an extensive class lineup, and our guest conductors are sure to provide excellent teaching, leadership, and an overall amazing experience for everyone. In addition, we are moving upstairs to the ballroom, promising better acoustics, and there’s a nice large service elevator! Scheduled Classes and Instructors: Hampton Festival Area III Forum — Charm Peterman Banging Buckets: Beyond the Basics — Paul Kingsbury Basic Conducting 101 — Ed Tompkins Becoming Bronze — Paul Kingsbury Jason Wells, known throughout the handbell community for the energy and passion that he brings to every group he leads (not just youth!), will definitely spread this “fire” to the massed ringing floor. As for the Genesis track, which is a tremendous experience for ensembles who are new to festivals or perhaps new to handbells altogether, Kath Wissinger brings leadership and enthusiasm to help these ensembles enjoy the music they make together, and to push them to the next level. Beyond The Notes — Ken Bissell Community Choir Forum — Carol Feather Martin Conducting — Ned Davis Music Theory: Can It Be Practical? — Sandra Matthes Put the Beat in Your Feet! — Linda Simms As for our classes, we definitely have something for everyone. Do you have ringers who need to work on their skills and techniques? These classes are for them: Banging Buckets, Ringing 101, Ringing 102: Stretching Your Skills, So Many Bells, So Few Hands.…, Stop That Sound, and Trouble with Trebles? Repertoire: Area III Composers — Frances Vaughan Repertoire for Advanced Ringers — Ed Tompkins Rev the Rep (Repertoire Levels 1 – 3) — Nancy Cappel Ringing 101 — Rob Kobus Maybe your ringers have a good understanding of the basics, but you are ready for them to expand their musicality (or perhaps your own!). If so, then give these classes a try: Basic Conducting, Becoming Bronze, Beyond the Notes, Music Theory: Can it be Practical?, Put the Beat in Your Feet, and Score Study For Ringers. Ringing 102: Stretching Your Skills — Rob Kobus So Many Bells, So Few Hands…. — Risë Kagan Stop - Look - Listen - Then Ring — Frances Vaughan Stop That Sound — Ed Tompkins Looking for the right pieces of music for your ensembles? Be sure to check out: Repertoire for Advanced Ringers, Repertoire: Area III Composers, and Rev the Rep (Repertoire Levels 1-3). This Thingie Fell Out, Now What Do I Do? — Ellen Moretz Trouble with Trebles? — Carol Feather Martin Finally, we have our “specialized” classes for various needs: Area III Forum, Community Choir Forum, This Thingie Fell Out - Now What Do I Do?, and Tuning Teens. We have found the best of the best in our area to lead these classes, and they are ready to share their knowledge with all of you! Tuning Teens — Nancy Cappel I encourage you to check out the Area III website at www.areaiii.org for more information about the Hampton festival. All of the necessary forms are there for you to print, fill out, and send in once you've decided to attend! You should easily find the answers to most of your questions there, but if not, I urge you to contact me directly at tintinnabulator@gmail.com. I hope 2008 is off to a great start for all of you, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our spring festivals! This year promises to be a great experience for everyone! The Hampton Roads Convention Center Hampton, VA 11 A NEW YEAR OF RINGING FRESH START by Rob Kobus, Metro DC Chair IN A FRESH YEAR by Karen Strausser, North Carolina Chair Now that 2007 has passed and the new year is here, we should take time to look back and reflect. November and December of 2007 were very busy months in the life of Metro DC. So many great handbell choirs offered their art and hard work to parishioners and concert patrons all over the area. The holidays are behind us and I am sure many of you and your ringers are “rung out!” It is such a blessing to be able to share our instrument with so many different groups throughout the holiday season — school groups, churches, Christmas parties, community venues — the list goes on. And it is so nice when the holidays are over! Some of the very memorable concerts included Nancy Cappel and her choirs from St. Matthews United Methodist Church in Annandale, VA, performing at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. St. Matthews’ choirs have been performing on the Millennium Stage every Christmas since the early 1980s. The concert opened with the Carol Ringers, a group of high school students in Northern Virginia. It was my first time hearing this group, and I was knocked off my feet; such wonderful musicianship and technique combined with a true love of handbells made for a very enjoyable concert. Next on the program were the Peace Ringers, St. Matthews’ advanced adult group. Both choirs played with great style and accuracy, so it was really like two concerts in one. Great job, ladies and gentlemen! With the start of the new year, this is a good time to reinforce basic handbell group requirements: be on time, no unnecessary talking, review music and ask your questions before rehearsal begins, call the director if you will be out and make every effort to be at all rehearsals and performances as scheduled. Directors, make sure you let your ringers know how much they are appreciated! This would also be a good time to try something new at your rehearsals – maybe a short sharing time about what is going on in your ringers’ lives, maybe some “brain games” or some handbell exercises to warm up before you ring. With the many festivals and events that occur during the spring, it is important to learn the music and be prepared for the event — but not at the expense of stressing out your ringers! One solution for church ensembles is to choose a Sunday your choir would normally ring and have a “volunteer” choir play, choosing music that is easily learned by those with little or no ringing experience. This creates an opportunity for those who can’t make a year-long commitment to the group but really want to “give it a try.” On the community front, I was fortunate enough to perform with Capital Carillon at the Festival of Lights in Kensington, MD. I also had the opportunity to hear Virginia Bronze. As a choir director, it is especially difficult to take in concerts during the Christmas season; however, after taking off my director hat and hearing the Virginia Bronze play, I was left breathless. Keep up the great work! As the new year gets into full swing and we look toward the future, I hope to meet each and every member in the Metro DC area sometime in 2008. I have contacted many of you, and truly look forward getting to know the rest. Try ringing along with a hymn sung by choir and congregation. Let them try change ringing as a chiming of the hour, or play a simple song that could be used as an offertory or benediction. Be creative; your options are limitless! I am still searching for two district chairs to help me with membership services. If you are interested, please let me know. I would also like to extend an invitation to the Metro DC members to contact me about your upcoming events. I’d love to hear about major milestones and special events, so that Area III will know about your great accomplishments! I look forward to seeing you at upcoming festivals and events. Have a happy and healthy 2008! 12 SECOND “NEW TO THIS” REPORT MEET MARYLAND’S DISTRICT CHAIRS by Judy Moore, Delaware Chair by John Rudy, Maryland Chair It is a new year, and getting the old year tucked away has been a chore so far for me. We not only pack away Advent and Christmas at home and at church, but I am in the midst of packing the whole music department to move to a new church facility. We also welcomed a new pastor on Epiphany Sunday. The bell choirs and vocal choirs, the children and youth, the old members and new members have all been preoccupied with meetings and excitement, saying hellos and goodbyes, completing year-end reports and planning for Lent (which is only days away) and Easter! Well, Christmas is over. Part of me wants to jump for joy, and another part me is feeling down because even though it is probably the most hectic time of year for a church musician, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I hope you and your ringers all had a joyous Christmas, and I wish you all a very prosperous New Year. This Christmas I had the pleasure of helping out a local church handbell choir here in Hagerstown. Their music director resigned suddenly, three weeks before Christmas. As they were scrambling to find someone to play the organ and direct the adult vocal choir on an interim basis, I stepped up and offered to help by directing the handbell choir for their Christmas Eve service. I just could not stand for the fact that there was a group of ringers out there that wanted to ring but couldn’t because they didn’t have a director. Helping this choir out was an absolute joy, and I am glad that I was able to fit it into my busy schedule. It reminds me of just how much is involved as each of our bell choirs prepares for our participation in worship, gets ready for a concert, rehearses for an upcoming festival, makes substitutions, reworks bell parts for absentees, calls on ringers to solidify schedules, welcomes new ringers, reworks scores, and just gets things organized! Add to this the quest for patience in the midst of the preparations: someone needs special attention about which hand picks up what bell, on which “and” a note needs to be played, how one plays chimes and bells at the same time, and the host of choreography challenges that eat up rehearsal time. “Nice story, but where are you going with this, John?” you’re asking. I want you to know that your District Chairs and I are here to help you. If you know of a church or organization with handbells and ringers and no director, let us know. If we can’t personally help out, we can help find someone who might be able to. The same goes for people who want to ring but have no place to do it: let us know! We can help find a place for them to ring. So that you know who to contact, let me introduce your District Chairs to you: Our adult bell choir has an Epiphany Bell Party, where we get together to eat homemade chili, polish all the bells, and share a gift exchange (yes, we do the kind where you get to “steal” a previously opened gift from someone!). The fun, food and fellowship reminds us of the teamwork involved in playing in a bell choir, giving us an opportunity to recommit ourselves to one another and to improve our playing. Anne Arundel Joyce Terry 6526 Wilson Road Friendship, MD 20758 301-855-2461 joyceterry@comcast.net I am looking forward to our Area III festival in Ocean City. Many of our Delaware choirs attend, and I look forward to interfacing with more choirs. I am still working on contacting all of our Delaware members by phone or e-mail to get a good picture of the “state of the art” in Delaware. By the next Bell-O-Gram, I’ll be able to be more regional in my scope, and not quite so “BOG-ed” down. Calvert, St. Mary, & Charles Linda Lamb Lexington Park Baptist 22035 Three Notch Road Lexington Park, MD 20653 kenlamb1944@msn.com Happy new year from “bell aware” Delaware! Virginia Handbell Consort Cecil & Harford Terri Vito 4817 Harford Creamery Road White Hall, MD 21161 410-557-9736 vitotp@hughes.net Carroll & Howard Berta Sabrio 8300 Old Columbia Road Fulton, MD 20759 410-960-0226 bsabrio@instrumentofpeace.org 32%R[ 9LUJLQLD%HDFK9$ Eastern Shore Randy Bachand Easton COB 109 Stewart St. Easton, MD 21601 ranrog@goeaston.net Western Maryland Ruth Louise Bileci 828 Mulberry Ave. Hagerstown, MD 21742 301-797-5864 b29louise@aol.com Notice that we still need District Chairs for Frederick and Baltimore counties. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me. We are anxious to get these positions filled. As always, we are here to help and support you, so if you need us, let us know! If you would like to talk to me directly, please contact me at 301-733-2878 or jrudy@tlchag.org. I will also be at the Area III Spring Festivals in Ocean City, MD and Hampton, VA, so please look for me. I am anxious to meet you! A Community Handbell Performance Organization $YDLODEOHIRU&RQFHUWV:RUNVKRSV&RQYHQWLRQV:HGGLQJV ([SHULHQFHGDGYDQFHGULQJHUVDUHZHOFRPHWRDXGLWLRQ 3OHDVHVHHRXUZHEVLWHIRUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQDERXW DXGLWLRQVERRNLQJVDQGRXUFRQFHUWVHULHVVFKHGXOH ZZZYLUJLQLDKDQGEHOOFRQVRUWFRP 13 HANDBELLS AT THE HOLIDAYS, AND RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008 Reflections on Virginia’s Success and an Invitation to Create Even More by Ned Davis, Virginia Chair Happy New Year! I hope that the first month of the year has been a good one for each of you, and that the rest of the year will be filled with rich blessings and success in your endeavors. As we enter a new year we have much to be thankful for and at the same time many new goals to reach. All of the officers of Area III are thankful for each of you who have helped to make this past year a great success in our area. Many have volunteered and participated in multiple events and functions, which has made our jobs easier! One of our goals for this new year is to make your organization more beneficial to you. One way of doing this is sharing more of your news with your fellow members. If you have any news you would like to have included in the Bell-O-Gram, please let me know by emailing me at nededavis@cox.net. Here are some of the things that have taken place in recent months, as well as some things to keep in mind in the months ahead. As is the case with many of you, the James River Ringers (Richmond area) had a busy holiday season. They kicked off the season on December 2 with a benefit concert at the historic St John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, made famous by Patrick Henry’s fiery “give me liberty or give me death” speech. The following week they had their annual holiday concert at Epiphany Episcopal in Richmond. On February 17 at 6 PM, they will perform at the St. Andrews Episcopal (Richmond) “Music with Grace” series. If you have a 2-3 octave choir, you will want to mark the dates of February 29 and March 1; the James River Ringers will host a special workshop featuring Mark Gourley as clinician at the Mechanicsville Church of Christ in Mechanicsville. The James River Ringers will celebrate their tenth anniversary with a special concert in May. You may check their website, www.jamesriverringers.org, for further information on both of these events. The Virginia Handbell Consort, which is located in the Tidewater area of Virginia and has just celebrated its tenth anniversary, was also busy, playing 10 concerts during the holidays, including a concert with the Virginia Wesleyan College choir where they accompanied the choir and also played several pieces on their own. The conclusion of their season found them at “First Night” in Colonial Williamsburg on New Year’s Eve. This is an evening of musical performances spread throughout various locations in Williamsburg. They performed three times during the evening to more than 700 people. For those of you who live in and around the area of Waynesboro, you may want to mark your calendar for this: each year prior to the Spring Festival in Hampton, VA, Main Street United Methodist Church holds a minifestival for those who want to work on the music for festival (or, if you’re not attending the festival, to come enjoy the fun and fellowship ringing with other choirs). This year it will be held on April 4 and 5, and there will be a concert to conclude the workshop. For further information contact Donald Dollins at 540-649-0312 or at dkpdollins@verizon.net. On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, an area dominated by agriculture and dotted with smaller communities, there are a lot of good things happening with handbells. At this point we know of only two groups who are part of AGEHR, but they are both busy. In December, the Market Street Ringers from Market Street UMC in Onancock — in addition to their regular responsibilities at the church — played for and accompanied the Eastern Shore Madrigals at their annual Christmas concert. In addition, The Graceful Ringers of Grace UMC in Parksley participated in Peter Meyer’s “Star and Promises Alive!” annual Christmas tour when they appeared with him and his band at Nandua High School in December. One of the most exciting pieces of news comes from Lana McKenzie, who is the District Chair for the Eastern Shore. This past fall, in conjunction with a group called the “Academy for Lifetime Learning,” Lana offered a six-week beginning 14 chime class, anticipating four or five participants. Much to her surprise, she ended up with a full class for three octaves of chimes! Subsequently she offered a second six-week class. Many from the first class signed up again, giving Lana another full class and the chance to further hone ringers’ abilities. As a result of this success, Lana will offer two more classes, although this time one will be an advanced class which will present a concert at the end. She already has a good number preregistered, anticipates two full classes, and hopes that this will help found a new community choir. Not only have the classes been successful, but she has also made contact with a couple of other churches in the area who have bells or chimes, and are not currently members of AGEHR. What’s more, several of her students want to start a group in their church! As I mentioned at the beginning, we have a number of goals we want to achieve this year. Among the most important is expanding the influence and membership of Area III. The account of Lana’s success on the Eastern Shore has hopefully stirred some thoughts about what can be done to expand the joy and challenge of bell ringing to other individuals or groups in your area who may not have “discovered” handbells yet. Also, the example of the folks at Main Street UMC in Waynesboro and their minifestival is another way to encourage the art of bell ringing. Maybe you have other ideas to share and we would be more than happy to hear from you, too. Whatever the case, in order for the art of handbells to thrive and grow, we need each of you who love handbells to get involved and pass on to others, young and old, what you have found to bring so much joy into your life. Hopefully you will make a New Year’s resolution to encourage just one person to try handbells, or find one church or group who is not part of the Guild and encourage them to get involved in our organization. Have a great New Year! =`kjc`b\X%%% K_\gcXZ\kfÔe[^cfm\j]fi\m\ipfe\#efdXkk\in_Xkj`q\% ($/''$A?J$9<CCnnn%?Xe[Y\ccNfic[%Zfd LETTERS Michael J. Glasgow, Bell-O-Gram Editor This is the place where I have pledged to print your letters to the editor, yet since our last issue I haven’t received a single one! I wonder if the people at Cosmo and GQ ever have this problem? sophisticated and knowledgeable. But in AGEHR, particularly in Area III, it’s not just an act: people are actually dreaming big dreams and, more importantly, acting upon those dreams. Actually, I see it as an opportunity, because now the space is all mine, and I can use it for my own ponderings. I had fun shooting this month’s cover art. What do we most often associate with stuffing? Turkeys? Too seasonal. Our faces? Too gluttonous. Certain unmentionables? Too, well, unmentionable. As I’ve put together this issue, I’ve seen n u m e rou s “a ct i on i t e ms” t hat encourage me to “mark my calendar.” Some of these things, like our 2009 Launch Into the Future event and the second annual Bravissimo! event in 2009, are so far in the future that I’ve had to mark a reminder in my 2008 datebook to mark the date in my 2009 datebook — because I don’t own it yet! A common theme evolved among the articles in this issue...new happenings. Sure, it’s trendy to look at future trends. We get to call ourselves “forward thinkers” and feel However, we can all relate to stuffing the washing machine. Fit in as much as possible, and you’ll save water, detergent, time and electricity, right? Sounds like a good idea...until the washer gets overloaded and you have a colossal mess on your hands and wet, dirty clothes — at best. (Random trivia question: what does this story have to do with Bell Jubilee by the late Ellen Jane Lorenz? The first correct response will get a “shout-out” in Letters in May.) 15 The point is, Area III is definitely moving forward with all sorts of new and wonderful events, not to mention new members! A s you feed information into your datebooks, calendars, PDAs, scheduling software, spouses, or whatever else keeps track of when you need to be where, remember that the dozens of people working on these events are doing so with great purpose. We don’t want to just “stuff your calendars.” We want to fill them with meaningful events that provide practical and relevant information and experiences for you and your ringers. So if you have any ideas, don’t hesitate to contact any of us. We’re here to help, and don’t take that responsibility lightly. In the meantime, I wouldn’t mind some folks “stuffing my mailbox” with letters to the editor! I always welcome your feedback and comments. Contact me at michael@nrumc.org, or see my “snail mail” at the bottom of page 19. BEYOND THE NOTES Preparing to Participate in a Festival by Susan Berry, Ocean City Spring Festival Clinician Excerpts from Healthy Ringing® by Susan Berry, 2000. Dearborn, MI: Handbell Services, Inc. (www.handbellservices.com). Reprinted with permission. Are massed rings hard on your body? Do you walk away from a ring musically content but physically spent, with your entire body sore? This state of affairs is common among handbell ringers, unless they make a conscious effort to ring the healthy way. A massed ring is a wonderful way to meet people, immerse oneself in handbells, and have fun playing great music in a unique setting, often with dramatic results. On the other hand, a massed ring is much more ringing than most ringers are accustomed to doing at one time. A festival of this sort is definitely not something to take lightly, especially if you’re a bass ringer. Extended rehearsals with maximum playing time and minimum attention to ringers’ bodies can be quite taxing. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep several issues in mind, to not just make beautiful music, but to make the massed ring a more enjoyable and comfortable experience. RINGERS’ PREPARATION At home: Just as a once-a-week runner will have trouble finishing a marathon, a ringer who rehearses once a week may have trouble making it through a massed ringing festival. Maintain a good fitness program! Unless you prepare your body with daily stretches and a walking or resistance training routine, you may not have the endurance necessary for day or two of ringing. Before the ring: To avoid muscle strain, warm up before the initial downbeat of the first rehearsal. The massed director should take you through basic stretches and warm-ups, but if this doesn’t happen, you should do a few simple stretches and warm-ups on your own. During the Ring: Practice gentle stretches throughout the day as well. Hand and upper torso cool-down stretches are a good idea after every rehearsal or during breaks in ringing. If a muscle feels tired or sore, stretch or massage it lightly. If a muscle seems tight, gently stretch and hold it for a few moments, then relax. If done correctly, you should feel a pleasant, soothing sensation. This will only take a couple of minutes and is well worth your time. If you are rehearsing and start to feel pain, stop immediately and rest! Continued ringing will only aggravate the problem. Even if the rest of the choir is still ringing, have a quick stretch break. If nothing seems to alleviate the pain, stop ringing altogether. Proper dress and footwear: Comfort is key! Wear clothes that give you a full range of motion and comfortable shoes with arch support. Foot fatigue may also be minimized by keeping knees relaxed, shifting weight from one foot to the other, doing static stretches, and standing on carpet squares or an Greetings to Area III Malmark Handbells Choirchime® Instruments Ringing Accessories Malmark, Inc. - Bellcraftsmen Bell Crest Park P. O. Box 1200 Plumsteadville, PA 18949 800- HANDBEL (426-3235) 215-766-7200 www.malmark.com Choirchime® is a registered trademark by Malmark, Inc. for its hand-held chime instrument. 16 interlocking foam puzzle mat. Nutrition: Drink water throughout the day! Water will refresh you, keep you from feeling lightheaded, keep your brain active and prevent dehydration, which causes energy levels to drop. Avoid caffeinated beverages during the rehearsal as they are diuretics and will actually deplete fluids in your body. Also, have healthy snacks on hand: eat foods with natural sugar and protein: both are nutritionally important to give you the necessary energy when ringing. Avoiding stress: When you start feeling anxious about a section in the music, take a series of deep breaths and try to relax. You want to do your best, but worrying may cause you to ring with less confidence and make more mistakes. The best policy is to tell yourself that if you make a mistake, go on. The note is gone; you can’t get it back, so move ahead. This doesn’t diminish the need for excellence, but rather tries to move you into forward thinking. Worry is counterproductive, but laughter is a wonderful stress reliever – have fun at a festival! Enjoy the fellowship – meet new friends, and smile. Remember that everyone, including the massed director, is on your side. After the ring: To avoid unnecessary muscle soreness, do a short series of stretches to allow the muscles and ligaments to cool down and return to normal. If muscle soreness continues following the concert, get some rest, and, if able, take an antiinflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Departure: Lifting cases is when most injuries occur. Rather than hurrying to load and leave, slow down and be conscious of your body as you pick up that heavy equipment. Bending over to put bells away, moving cases, and twisting to move foam off the table and into a vehicle all contribute to body strain, especially following an active concert when you’ve spent much of your “reserve” energy. Remember, slow and steady wins the race! HINTS FOR DIRECTORS PRIOR TO A FESTIVAL Study the clinician’s rehearsal notes in advance of your first rehearsal with your choir and communicate the ideas as you introduce each piece. When preparing for rehearsal, study each score, look over every ringing position, marking all awkward bell changes, entrances, tempo changes, etc. Look over page turns and what happens musically before and after. Then introduce pieces by dissecting each section, mentioning key changes, time signatures and ringing technicalities. Don’t allow complacency, even during the initial read-throughs. Begin rehearsals with a simple run-through of one of the easier festival pieces at a slow and gentle tempo. Let the ringers’ muscles start to work without strain. The ringers should underplay dynamics and special techniques like shakes, marts, and ring-touches. Once the ringers gain confidence in their ringing, the music will begin to take shape and the tempo should fall into place. Get ringers in the habit of a pre-rehearsal warm-up of at least five minutes. Static stretches and breathing exercises are essential. Good habits will pay off at the actual ring – less fatigue and potential physical strain will result. (For further reference, see Part 3 in Healthy Ringing®.) Healthy Ringing! We look forward to seeing you at a future festival. 17 Got Buckets? 104 pages of techniques & progressive photos to help you swing those buckets like the pros! www.ATLPublishing.com www.handbellworld.com 1-877-DEADRINger Westminster Ringers presents Young Ringer’s Festival Conference Saturday, March 29, 2008 Cranberry Station Elementary School in Westminster, MD 9:30 a.m. set-up and rehearsals ƒ 4 p.m. public concert Full or partial choirs may attend Clinician: Larry Henning Fee: $20 per director/ringer, $7 per chaperone by February 16, 2008 Fee: $25 per director/ringer, $7 per chaperone by March 1, 2008 Fee: $30 per director/ringer, $9 per chaperone after March 1, 2008 Open Rings COME RING ALONG WITH THE WESTMINSTER RINGERS! Thursday, June 12, 2008 Westminster COB ƒ 5 Park Place, Westminster, MD 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Auditions Thursday, June 19, 2008 Email Larry Henning for an audition time. Ringer’s Workshop Saturday, September 20, 2008 Calvary UMC ƒ 405 Main Street, Mt. Airy, MD 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Clinicians: Michael Joy, Debbie & Larry Henning Full or partial choirs may attend Fee: $35 before August 22, 2008 Fee: $40 before September 5, 2008 Fee: $45 after September 12, 2008 For more information about any of the above events, please contact: Debbie Henning 737 Holland Lane, Westminster, MD 21158 410-848-5482 ƒ director@thewestminsterringers.org AREA III WELCOMES 24 NEW MEMBERS BUSY HANDCHIMES SPREAD THE ART OF RINGING: JOIN OUR CHIME LOAN PROGRAM (October - December 2007) Total membership as of December 2007 is 868 Fran Hoadley, Area III Membership Chair 828-685-1478 • fran_hoadley@yahoo.com by Elaine Myers, Chime Loan Program Coordinator DELAWARE (4) Linda Oliver Hazeltine, Wilmington Karen Tull, Seaford New Covenant Presbyterian Church, Middletown St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church, Middletown Our Malmark and newly refurbished Schulmerich handchimes have been put to great use this school year! They are currently chiming away at Grace and Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra, VA. MARYLAND (3) Kyler Brengle, Westminster Rod Comeaux, Pocomoke City Immanuel Baptist Church, Baltimore We are anxious to have our handchimes used as much as possible, especially in schools. A good assortment of music and instruction material is included with the chimes. After borrowing Area III’s chimes, Leeds Episcopal Church in Markham, VA. has purchased a set of their own! METRO DC (5) Jerry Hill, Alexandria (VA) Hope Malcolm, Great Falls (VA) Marta Ochoa, Silver Spring Fran Waddell, Arlington (VA) Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, McLean (VA) Handchimes are beautiful to use by themselves and are an excellent complement to English handbells. With a price that’s about a third of that of handbells, chimes are more accessible for tight budgets. NORTH CAROLINA (7) Fran Hoadley, Hendersonville First Baptist Church of Elon, Elon Good Shepherd Moravian Church, Kernersville Palestine United Methodist Church, Albermarle Pitts Baptist Church, Concord Rock Creek Baptist Church, Nashville St. Mary’s Church, Asheville My school, Old Donation Center, has just purchased three sets of the third octave of handchimes, and now I have 37 students involved in our handchimes program. They recently performed for the opening ceremonies of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach. It was a fantastic experience for them, as was performing for our holiday program. VIRGINIA (4) Barbara Carnevale, Virgilina Covington Baptist Church, Covington Fort Defiance High School, Fort Defiance Spotswood Baptist Church, Fredericksburg We like to keep in touch with our members! If you have moved or your information has changed, please contact Dan Virzi in the National Office (1-800-878-5459x112 or membership@agehr.org) to ensure that we have the most current information. Please tell a friend and spread the news! Our handchimes are available for loan each school year. Fill out the application from our website (www.areaiii.org) and send it to me at myers129@juno.com. the bell-o-gram is published in February, May, September and November by Area III of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. AGEHR is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing through education, community and communication. The editor of this publication reserves the right to reject or modify copy. 2007-2008 Advertising Rates (per issue) Full page: $105 Half page: $75 Quarter page: $55 Eighth page: $35 If you are interested in receiving information and mechanical specs, please contact the editor: the bell-o-gram American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Area III Michael J. Glasgow, editor 7505 Post Oak Road, Raleigh NC, 27615 michael@nrumc.org THE DEADLINE FOR CONTENT FOR THE MAY ISSUE IS MARCH 20. Please send news, articles, and photos to our editor, Michael J. Glasgow (michael@nrumc.org). 19 the bell-o-gram American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Charm Peterman, Area III Chair 113 Melvins End Yorktown, VA 23693 WE’RE GLAD YOU VISITED US ONLINE! If you would prefer to view the color edition of the bell-o-gram online rather than receive the black & white version in the mail, please contact Charm Peterman at rpeterman2@cox.net.
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